The Old Mariner Inshore Series Fly Reel is the lighter, less expensive half of the Old Mariner range, machined in Palm Beach, Florida by Paul Conover, who developed reels at Fin-Nor and founded Old Florida Fly Reel Company, the operation that later became Nautilus. Old Mariner describes the Inshore in plain terms: it is built for the casual inshore fly fisherman who wants low maintenance, long term use and shoulder saving lightness at a reasonable price. It keeps the two things the brand is known for, the dual sided frame and the fully sealed internal drag, and gives up the parts of the Offshore reels that exist to survive bluewater loads. Old Mariner builds it in two sizes, the 610 and the 912, and we stock both.
Design
Inshore Versus Offshore - Old Mariner spells out the difference itself. The Inshore reels carry the same sealed, smooth drag found on the standard Old Mariner reels, but with smaller sealed bearings, all aluminum internal components, 7075 aluminum screws and a smaller drag knob. The dimensions tell the same story. The 610 matches the Offshore 8 exactly at a 3.735 inch spool 0.800 inches wide holding roughly 165 yards of 20 lb Dacron, while the 912 uses the Offshore 10 spool diameter of 3.975 inches but narrows it to 0.800 inches, which drops capacity to roughly 200 yards of 30 lb Dacron instead of the Offshore 10 figure of 245 to 260 yards. That is the trade in one line: the Inshore gives up backing capacity and bearing size to save weight and cost, and keeps the drag.
Dual Sided Frame - The spool is supported at both ends rather than hanging off one side, the way a trolling reel supports its spool. Old Mariner's argument is that eliminating spool flex is what stops uneven drag wear and bearing failure on conventional single sided saltwater reels. Our own review of the 610 describes the result as a fully caged frame with a non removable spool, and notes it as one of the reasons the reel feels heavier in the hand than most current saltwater reels of the same capacity.
No Removable Spool, No Hand Conversion - Old Mariner states that the spool cannot be changed and that the reel is 100 percent sealed at the factory, so retrieve direction cannot be converted afterward. You change fly lines by stripping and respooling rather than by swapping a spare spool, and you buy the reel in the hand you actually fish. Unlike our Offshore listing, this one lets you choose: left hand and right hand retrieve are both build options on the Inshore.
Ported Spool, Smaller Drag Knob, Silent Both Ways - The spool face is ported, which drops rotating mass and lets soaked backing dry between sessions. Old Mariner calls the result a low startup inertia spool, meaning it begins turning the moment a fish pulls rather than jolting against a stack that has set. The drag knob is deliberately smaller than the oversized knob on the Offshore reels, though our review still found it knurled and easy to move with wet fingers. There is no outgoing or incoming click on the Inshore, and no click is offered as a build option the way it is on the Offshore reels, so the reel is silent in both directions.
Finish
Anodized Silver Spool in a Black Anodized Frame - The Inshore is anodized rather than painted, which drives corrosion protection into the surface of the aluminum instead of laying on a coating that can chip and start a corrosion site. The standard combination is a machined silver spool in a black frame, and our own product photography confirms it. Old Mariner produces in limited batches and offers custom colors and engraving on request, so treat our photos as representative of the current batch rather than as a guaranteed colorway.
Materials
Machined Aluminum Throughout - Frame, spool and internal components are aluminum, and Old Mariner machines and assembles every reel in its own Palm Beach facility from United States sourced aircraft certified material. The brand calls out all aluminum inside components specifically, which is a departure from the mixed internals common at this price, and the assembly screws are 7075 aluminum for reduced weight without giving up thread strength.
Smaller Sealed Bearings - The Inshore runs sealed bearings that Old Mariner describes only as smaller than the ones in the Offshore reels. The brand publishes sealed ceramic bearings on the Offshore models but does not specify the bearing material for the Inshore, so we are not claiming ceramic here. What is stated is that they are sealed, which is the part that matters after a saltwater day.
Drag
Type - A fully sealed internal drag, adjusted by a knurled knob. Old Mariner lists it as a fully sealed internal drag on both the 610 and the 912, and the brand's FAQ confirms the wider point that the reel is closed at the factory and never opened by the owner. Our own legacy listing copy, written when we took the line on, describes it as a drawbar type sealed drag with zero inertia startup. Our review of the 610 measured roughly 1.3 full turns from free spool to maximum pressure, so this is a quick lockup rather than the fine, slow sweep of the Offshore Standard Drag, which takes 2.25 turns to cover the same span. On the number itself we are not committing: Old Mariner specifies fine drag adjustment from 0 to 30 lb on both Inshore models, while our own bench test of a 610 measured only 5 to 6 lb of maximum pressure, so we are not quoting a maximum drag figure until we can reconcile the two. What our review does state without reservation is that the drag is seriously smooth and ranks among the best we have felt at this price.
Materials - Old Mariner does not publish the drag stack material for the Inshore reels. The only published stack material anywhere in the line comes from a single dealer specification sheet for the Offshore reels, which describes highest grade cork impregnated with aerospace grade Teflon. Since Old Mariner states the Inshore uses the same drag as the standard reels, that material plausibly carries over, but it is single source, dealer supplied and unconfirmed with the factory, and we are not presenting it as a specification. What is confirmed is the sealing: salt and sand never reach the stack, so the pressure the knob delivers in year one is the pressure it delivers in year ten.
Arbor Size
Mid Arbor, 2.1 Inches, Caged - Old Mariner specifies a 2.1 inch arbor on both the 610 and the 912. Wrapped in a 3.735 inch spool on the 610 and a 3.975 inch spool on the 912, that puts both reels in mid arbor territory rather than the large arbor profile most current saltwater reels use. Our review measured about 9.2 inches of line recovered per turn on the 610, which is moderate: enough to keep pace with a redfish or a bonefish that turns and runs at the boat, but not the retrieve rate of a large arbor reel of the same diameter. The arbor is fixed for the life of the reel, because the caged frame means there is no spool to swap.
Warranty
Lifetime Limited Warranty, Handled Direct - As of August 2026, Old Mariner warrants its reels 100 percent for workmanship, drag performance, inferior parts and breakage from intended use, for the life of the owner, and will repair or replace at its discretion. Accidental damage and unintended use are excluded. The warranty is administered by Old Mariner directly rather than through the dealer, so claims go to [email protected] or 954-654-3911, and Old Mariner pays shipping within the United States on a valid claim.
More Info
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Best for: Inshore and flats saltwater, and freshwater. Redfish, bonefish, snook, tarpon, salmon and steelhead
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Models we stock: 610 and 912, each in left or right hand retrieve
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Suggested Line Weight: 8 on the 610 and 10 on the 912, per Old Mariner
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Arbor Size: Mid arbor. 2.1 inch arbor diameter on both models
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Spool: 3.735 inches by 0.800 inches on the 610, 3.975 inches by 0.800 inches on the 912
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Backing Capacity: About 165 yards of 20 lb Dacron on the 610, about 200 yards of 30 lb Dacron on the 912. Capacities are approximate and vary by backing brand
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Line Pickup: About 9.2 inches per turn on the 610, measured in our own review
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Drag: Fully sealed internal drag, knurled knob, about 1.3 turns from free spool to maximum on the 610
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Maximum Drag: Old Mariner specifies 0 to 30 lb. Our bench test of a 610 measured 5 to 6 lb. We are not certifying either figure
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Weight: Old Mariner publishes 7.6 oz for the 610 and 8.5 oz for the 912. Our review weighed a 610 at about 9.75 oz. Treat the published figures with caution
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Bearings: Sealed, and smaller than the Offshore bearings. Material not published for the Inshore
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Frame: Dual sided and fully caged, machined aluminum, anodized
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Retrieve: Left or right hand, chosen when the reel is built. Not convertible afterward
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Spare Spools: Not offered. The caged frame does not use a removable spool
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Sound: Silent. No incoming or outgoing click, and none offered as an option
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Finish: Anodized silver spool in a black anodized frame. Custom colors and engraving available from Old Mariner on request
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Built: Machined and assembled in Palm Beach, Florida
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Backing: Installed free by Trident. Old Mariner also states its reels ship with appropriate Dacron backing factory installed at no charge
